The present invention generally relates to multimedia teaching and learning, and more particularly to an interactive training methodology for demonstrating and teaching occupational skills to a trainee.
Personal computers and concomitant technology have been instrumental in the way teaching and learning are accomplished. With the proliferation of personal computers in the business arena as well as in the home, this relatively recent media has enhanced the way teaching and learning are performed, positively altering cognitive skills and retention of information by a trainee. Presently available interactive teaching and training systems cover a variety of fields ranging from scholastic teaching and training to business teaching and training.
Within the business arena, there are myriad goals for a productive and efficient training system. These goals include but are not limited to a training system that can mirror real-world scenarios, facilitate attention to and retention of training materials by the trainee, test cognitive abilities of the trainee by providing testing and feedback, and provide reporting and monitoring mechanisms to management.
Interactive teaching and training systems are beneficial for an employer as well as for employees (i.e., trainees). Interactive teaching and training systems are portable and cost effective because it is far cheaper to bring the training to the employee, than to bring the employee to the training. Thus, the employer realizes reduced costs of training and improved performance by employees, which can increase profits and/or limit employer""s liability. Furthermore, interactive teaching and training systems provide a measure of consistency. That is, a company-wide level of technical competency will be achieved by eliminating variances that can arise from differing live presentations, while maintaining benefits of live-type instruction. The employer can further realize a high return on its investment with an increase in technical aptitude of its staff, and particularly with concomitant reductions in operational errors of its staff. Interactive teaching and training systems are also flexible. Thus, the employees are able to effectively learn at their own pace with increased retention of information, without distracting other personnel. Furthermore, these systems generally allow supervisors or management to see exactly what their employees are learning and to track their progress, which provide clear and measurable results.
Interactive teaching and training systems for a business environment in a rudimentary sense are based on a computer accepting input, in the form of data or commands, from a human user (e.g., trainee) to facilitate individualized learning or training. In a more concrete sense these systems are aimed at utilizing such human-computer interaction to positively affect the aforementioned goals, and predominately, to positively affect occupational skills desired by an employer.
Interactive teaching and training systems generally are comprised of an introduction segment, which demonstrates and introduces a trainee to basic information in a multimedia format; a teaching and training segment that leads the trainee through training, during which the trainee interacts with the system; an examination segment, which tests the trainee""s understanding and comprehension of materials presented during the teaching and training segment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,443 is directed to a system, method and article of manufacture for rule-based expert training for building success in a business endeavor, wherein the system simulates a real-world environment and provides feedback to a user.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,885,083 is directed to a system and method for multi-modal interactive speech training, wherein the system is enabled for speech synthesis, speech recognition and visual representation of non-native vocabulary elements to promote rapid comprehension through neuro-linguistic programming of the individual.
There are currently many interactive teaching and training systems available. However, there is currently a deficiency in the art of training methodology for making the interactive teaching and training systems more efficient, and for demonstrating and teaching occupational skills. That is, a need exists for a training methodology that would maximize the efficiency for demonstrating and teaching occupational skills to facilitate improvement in retention of training materials by a trainee.
It is an object of the present invention to provide for a training methodology that is easily customizable for different occupations.
It is an object of the present invention to provide for a training methodology that is optimally functional for increasing retention of course material by a trainee.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide for training methodology for piquing a trainee""s interest and promoting participation in course material.
Still, yet another object of the present invention is to provide for a training methodology that is streamlined to provide effortless navigation though the course material by the trainee.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide for training methodology that is enabled to monitor and track a trainee""s progress throughout training for making management decisions, such as hiring, retention and promotion of the trainee.
It is an object of the present invention to provide for a training methodology that enables a trainee to learn at his or her own pace and which allows a trainee to save his or her training progress if the trainee wants to terminate a training session and restart the training session at a later point in time.
Thus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an interactive training methodology for demonstrating and teaching occupational skills to a trainee. The training methodology is embodied in a course comprising one or more training classes each comprising one or more training modules. The methodology of the present invention comprises: selecting a class from the one or more training classes for demonstrating and teaching a subset of occupational skills; then for each class: selecting a training module, wherein the training module correlates to one occupational skill of the subset of occupational skills; presenting a logical training sequence for the occupational skill; and interposing during the logical training sequence one or more queries for evaluating the trainee""s comprehension of the one occupational skill and in response to trainee""s answers to the one or more queries, modifying the logical training sequence until the trainee reaches a satisfactory level for the one occupational skill. The logical training sequence of the present invention is modified by providing video clips of a simulation of an occupational skill from different angles, perspective views or by showing previously omitted video clips, for example.
The present invention thus provides a scenario comprising a depiction of a simulation of an occupational skill for the purpose of illustrating the proper performance of said skill. The scenario comprises a plurality of scenes to illustrate an event or portion of an event from a particular view or perspective relating to the performance of the occupational skill. Upon beginning training, the trainee will view the scenario which may have one or more omitted scenes necessary to completely evaluate the scenario. At the conclusion of at least one scene of a plurality of scenes the trainee will be asked at least one question regarding the occupational skill which solicits a choice from said trainee. If the trainee answers correctly the training will continue with the display of another scenario until all scenarios of the class are completed. If the trainee answers incorrectly then a follow-up scenario will be presented for additional instruction, which will generally include one or more of the omitted scene from the first scenario. An additional question may then be asked.
A more complete understanding of the present invention, as well as further features and advantages of the present invention, will be obtained by reference to the following detailed description and drawings.